Even
if your favorite team didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, celebrate the
battle between the Broncos and Seahawks in style. As it turns out, the weeks
leading up to the big game are the best time to find a deal on the most important
component of any party: the television. According to a recent survey from FatWallet, 1 in every 10
Americans will purchase a new TV during Super Bowl sales. This number
overshadows even the titans of shopping days, Black Friday
and Cyber Monday. Whether you're a die-hard fan or you
can't name a single player participating in Super Sunday,
now is the time to find a new set. To get the most for your money, consider
these helpful tips:

Know your needs so you
don't get upsold on features you'll never use. If you just want to watch your
favorite shows in HD, a standard LED should do the job. If you're looking to
stream videos and connect to the Internet, you're going to need a Smart TV. Bigger
isn't always better; it's entirely possible to get too much TV for your space.
Luckily, mathematical minds have discovered a way to determine the optimum viewing distance based on television
size.

Learn from others Instead of finding out the hard way, take advantage of online reviews to
identify common problems with specific models. Amazon is a great source for a
wealth of user reviews, or if you want more technical specs, CNET has you covered.

Price matching pays During
big sales times, competition is fierce among the big-name retailers. Many of
these merchants offer price matching to capture extra sales from their closest
competitors. Check at a couple stores -
or online - to see if there are better deals. In some cases you may even be
able to get an adjustment if prices drop in a set period after your purchase.

Skip the warranty These
days you can't make it through the checkout line with any type of electronics
product without being offered an extended warranty. When it comes to
televisions, you're usually safe to skip over this added expense. While
warranties offer peace of mind, HDTVs are surprisingly reliable. Most likely by the time
you're in need of a repair you'll be better off buying a new TV entirely.

Keep a coupon handy Though
HDTV prices have come down over the years, they're still a major purchase. Any
time you're spending a good chunk of change, it's worth it to keep a few
coupons handy. Since shopping around is essential to finding the best price,
keeping a coupon app on your phone will help you find extra savings instantly.
One of the most popular is Coupon Sherpa, which features hundreds of stores
including electronics retailers like Best Buy and Sears.

Consider open-box In
many cases you can find the lowest prices on HDTVs and meet your needs
shopping open-box models. Open-box TVs are either returned by customers after
being opened for various reasons, the most common being incorrect size. The TV
may also have served as a store display model and sold at a discounted rate.
Either way, these sets work just as well as costlier, new models, so ask a
sales associate to point you toward these options.

Buy old models This is
the week that manufacturers are introducing 2014 models for TVs and stores are
marking down 2013 sets to make room for new inventory.

Go big or go home The
best deals on TVs this time of year are on the bigger, pricier sets. If you've
determined your space is suited for truly big-screen TV, check out this list from The Motley Fool.

Shop online for accessories If you're upgrading to HD for the first time, there are a few
accessories you'll likely need. However, these cords and cables come with
insane markups when you purchase them in-store. In fact, personal finance blog LenPenzo.com found markups can exceed 100% in
many cases. With a quick search of Amazon, HDMI cables can easily be found for
a fraction of the store price. If you haggle, you may be able to get the store
manager to throw in those cables for free when making a big purchase.

Teamwork If you want to
throw an epic Super Bowl party without investing in a new TV, consider ways to
work with friends and neighbors to create the ultimate viewing experience. Couch time for pizza, for example.

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